The present invention relates to a movable leg assembly employed for controlling the height of a work surface and particularly a system for storing cords associated with the controls therefor.
As the work place environment changes with technology, so too do the facilities employed by companies to provide ergonomically appropriate work stations for technical, clerical, and assembly personnel. In order to accommodate different job tasks, frequently it is desirable to have a work surface which is vertically adjustable, such that the work surface can be employed by individuals in a standing position, in a sitting position on an office chair, or in an intermediate position when using, for example, a stool-height seat. With the ubiquitous use of personal computers, multiple adjustable table heights accommodate different individual needs for placing a monitor, for example, at a level which may be different than the writing surface or the work surface on which the computer controls are employed. There exists, therefore, an increasing need for a work surface which has an adjustable height and one which can be economically manufactured to provide desired movement and which esthetically blends with an office decor or other working environment.
There exists numerous adjustable table assemblies which are either mechanically controlled by, for example, a screw-jack mechanism or which are electrically controlled screw jacks. Some installations employ hydraulic cylinders with a pump for moving fluid from a master cylinder to slave cylinders mounted within telescopic legs of a table for controlling the vertical adjustment of the work surface.
With electrically driven systems, it is necessary to provide an operator control which is coupled, in turn, to a motor control unit typically utilizing an electrical connecting cord. The motor control unit, in turn, is coupled to individual drive motor assemblies through both signal cords and power transmitting cords. As a result, a myriad of electrical cords are employed, typically positioned under the work surface of a table for interconnecting the various drive and control elements utilized in connection with an electrically adjustable table. Such control units typically have standard cable lengths. Depending upon the size of the work surface to which the adjustable table mechanism is coupled, frequently an excess length of power or signal cords must be accommodated. This has been achieved by cutting and reconnecting plugs to the cords or by shortening the cords by splicing. These alternatives are costly and time consuming and may lead to failure of the system due to a bad connection.
There exists a need, therefore, for a cord management system which allows the use of existing standard cord lengths for motor controllers, motor actuating units, and remote control units which do not require the costly time-consuming cutting and splicing of cords to provide a universal length for motor-driven adjustable tables which may have different sized work surfaces and, therefore, different spacing for the various interconnected electrical units.
The system of the present invention accommodates for excess cord lengths, which may vary from installation to installation, by providing a housing which includes a cord take-up reel mounted thereto for storing excess cord which may exist. In one embodiment of the invention, the housing comprises a motor control assembly for an electrically controlled system. In one embodiment, the motor control assembly includes a toroidal transformer and the housing has a cylindrical body extending downwardly from the housing and which forms a drum of the take-up reel. In the preferred embodiment of the invention also, a snap-fit flange extends over the end of the drum to hold cords in position once wrapped around drum. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a protective and decorative cover snap-fits over the motor control and take-up reel once the excess cord has been wrapped around the take-up reel for storage. With such a system, the excess length of cords which exist in many adjustable table installations are accommodated without the addition of any noticeable structure by the utilization of a take-up reel in a covered housing. Such construction provides a low cost, economical, and esthetically desirable solution to the problem of excess cord management and can be used in addition for systems in which small flexible hydraulic lines are employed in place of cords or flexible mechanical cables are employed for purely mechanical adjustment systems.
These and other features, objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following description thereof together with reference to the accompanying drawings.